Carwash sees property tax soar by this amount

WEST DEPTFORD, NJ — It sounds like good news. Joe and Debbie Mendolia, the owners of Presidential Car Wash here, recently learned that their wash’s value had increased sharply, the Gloucester County Times reported.

Instead, the March 28 story stated that the couple now faces a $17,000 property tax increase due to commercial property reassessments.

The Mendolias and seven other businesses met with county and state representatives to discuss the assessment and tax appeals process. The group was also looking for answers on how to finance these double-digit tax increases.

“We did follow the rules,” Debbie Mendolia said in the article. “We would love to work with these people. We would love to work with the county. I just feel I’m not getting the cooperation we need to make it easier for us ... We don’t mind paying taxes, we do things the right way. But when you hit us with something like this, it takes the wind out of you. You keep wondering how you are going to be able to keep doing what you’re doing.”

Joe Mendolia also questioned the basis of the county’s numbers, saying his carwash was compared to four washes in nearby Cherry Hill. “Mantua Grove Road is a long way from Cherry Hill,” he said during the meeting.

At the carwash, prices may end up having to increase $1 per car to cover the difference.